It Rained, It Mist- Young (AL-KY) 1945 Arnold
[From: An Alabama Songbook, (taken from Folksongs from Alabama, 1950, Arnold), collected Arnold. Notes below from a later edition by Halli.
R. Matteson 2015]
(Child 155, Sir Hugh, or The Jew's Daughter)
Mrs. Young, who sang only the first four and the ninth stanzas here for Arnold, insisted that he get permission from her sister, from whom she had learned the song, before he printed it. From that sister, Mrs. Edith Procter of Morehead, Kentucky, Arnold received not only permission to print but also the fifth through eighth stanzas. Despite her insistence on the children's being allowed to play only "on the playing ground," Young does not make clear that the boy's ball must have been thrown from that "playing ground" into the Jew's garden, or perhaps into her house through a window.
It Rained, It Mist- Sung by Mrs. Nell Young, Huntsville, 8 August 1945 (additional verses by her sister Mrs. Edith Procter of Morehead, Kentucky).
1.It rained, it mist,
It rained all over the town.
And no one was allowed to play,
But on the playing ground, ground, ground,
But on the playing ground
2. First too high and then too low
All over St.Johns town
Where no one was allowed to play,
But on the playing ground, ground, ground,
But on the playing ground.
3. Out stepped a lady
All fairly dressed in green,
"Come in, come in, my little one;
You shall have your ball again, 'gain, 'gain,
You shall have Your ball again."
4 "I will come in, I won't come in,
I will not enter your door,
I've often heard little ones come in
And never come out anymore, more, more,
And never come out anymore."
5 First she showed him a red rosy apple,
And then she showed him a chain,
Then she showed him a gold diamond ring
To 'vite the little one in, in, in,
To 'vite the little one in.
6 She took him by the lily-white hand,
She led him through the hall,
She led him to the far back room
Where no one could hear his call, call, call,
Where no one could hear his call.
7 She placed a napkin over his face,
She pinned it with a pin,
And then she taken a little penknife
And jobbin' his little heart in, in, in,
And jobbin' his little heart in.
8 "Oh spare my life, oh spare my life,
Oh spare my life," said he.
"If You will only spare my life
Some gold I'll give to thee, thee, thee,
Some gold I'll give to thee.
9 "Place a prayerbook at my head,
A candle at my feet,
And if my playmates ask for me,
Just tell them that Willie is dead, dead, dead,
Just tell them that Willie is dead.